Kaddu ka halwa or Pumpkin halwa is a sweet Indian pudding made by cooking pumpkin in milk and ghee. In previous posts, I have posted recipes for Carrot/gaajar ka Halwa, Atte ka halwa (whole wheat flour halwa) and semolina/suji ka halwa. This recipe is similar to the carrot halwa. Traditionally halwa uses khoya and that’s what I have used in this recipe. While people are wary of using store bought khoya because of adulteration, at my parents’ home the local milk man gives us homemade Khoya. Khoya is made with milk that is cooked down so that most of the moisture is evaporated, lending dishes that use khoya an added texture and richness. If you do not have access to khoya, just increase the amount of milk used. In my carrot halwa recipe, there is no khoya and you can get almost similar results without khoya. The cooking time does increase though. I have also seen people use almond meal instead of Khoya, which helps thickening the halwa, and giving it an added richness. Read More →
My one week of raw food is over. I did not lose as much weight as I wanted (I was quite disappointed yesterday about that but after eating a hot meal today I am fine), but I do feel a difference in my body shape. I feel flatter and leaner. Plus I imagine with all the greens I put in my body the past week, I only did it good. So what if I did not lose as much as I did last time, (which is weird because this time I exercised as well), I did my body a favor either way.
It was a difficult one week. But I managed it. And this sugar free, vegan, more or less guilt free banana ice cream helped me quite a bit.
Seriously, this was a treat that I had been craving for. I don’t know if it was the fact that I was deprived of all things unhealthy, but I found this ice cream to taste exactly how a chocolate ice cream tastes- creamy and chocolatey. And it comes together in a jiffy. All you need is a frozen banana and raw cacao powder. I did use a splash of almond milk just to get the blender going, but you might not require it at all. No churning in the ice cream maker. No cooking raw yolks. No cream. No nothing. Just a frozen banana, cacao powder and a blender and in two minutes you have a nice creamy chocolate ice cream without the added guilt that comes with ice cream.
A friend sent me the link to this recipe when she saw that I was on raw. It will be unfair on my part to not share this recipe with as many people as I can. So here it is- Creamy Raw Chocolate Ice cream.
I know I have mentioned this enough on the blog, but I’ll say it again for the ones who are here for the first time – V is not a sweet tooth kind of guy. I have managed to turn him a bit but still the dessert devotee in me doesn’t think it’s enough. He is quite the health freak and the kinds who doesn’t need dessert to conclude a meal. I, on the other hand, have been known to actually eat a meal so that I do not feel guilty for having just desserts on my plate. Probably that’s why I am constantly struggling with my weight, while V actually exercises to gain weight! Some guys do have all the luck!
But, V does have a weakness. Its strawberry ice cream. That he will buy even when I am not there. Something he will eat without me having to emotionally blackmail him to eat it so that I dont feel guilty of taking a bite myself.
So, it was only obvious that I had to learn how to make at home a dessert that he enjoys so much. It also gave me a chance to inaugurate the ice cream maker for this season.